The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-21
JENIFER's INHERITANCE.



property The lawyers letter announcing
the fact lay before him, beside the breakfast
which he had forgotten in the thought of
this unexpected good fortune. 1t was not
meagre breakfast, although Mr. Jenifer at
ive-and-forty was still only curate on a
stipend of ESQ per annum, for through the
greater part of his 20 years in holy orders he
had acted on the principle that If he gave
his time to the poor, it was as much as they
could expect; and so if they called Parson
Jenifer hard" and "close,'' and preferred
going to the viear-why, that was not his
fault.
His inheritance consisted in a good house
and several hundreds year, and he sat and
thought over the difference this would make
In his future No more for him the daily
service, read as part of the days work-no
more visiting of thriftless, complaining, mud
ding poor, with whom he was completely
out OF toueh-in word, no more drudgery!
twenty years of drudgery! That was
what his life amounted to. Not for him the
spirit OF love that softens. and the high
thoughts that sanctify daily tasks; only the
grudging gift of obligatory toll. 1t was
written on his face. in lines marked by twen-
ty years-no, not quite twenty-five had
thought differently at frst-but by more
than dozen years of discomfort and repin-
ing. 1t pity. too, for the face was one of
great possibilities, clouded over by the dull
ness OF heart that fails to see through the
service the Master who is served
Even now he had no regret for the kind
old friend who had left him goodly share
of his property, no thought that the hand
which had ever been ready to help him and
many another was helpless now henceforth,
no spirit of gratitude for this last loving
gift, only selfish pleasure in his own good
luck, and a feeling Of discomfort that it had
been so long in coming. And thus thinking
he rose and went to see his vicar to make ar
rangements for the visit to the lawyer, which
must precede his taking possession of his
new inheritance.
He found no difficulty in obtaining leave
OF absence for the purpose. The vicar was
kind and open hearted man, and pleased at
his curate's unexpected prosperity.
swell, Jeniter," he said, 81 am very glad
for you, though you can't appreciate it as
much as if you had a wife and family de-
pendent on you. All the same, you have
my hearty congratulations"
''Ah," said Mr.. Jenifer, ''things generally
come too late. Now, if this had happened
when was 10 years younger, what differ
ence it would have made to me!'
but your friends life was avery valuable
one to many. was it not?" said the vicar.
"From all l have heard of him, | should
think that even now, there will be plenty of
people to say that the end has come 10 years
too soon rather than too late"
why, he was nearly 90" said Jenifer, as
If the fact were rather reproach to the old
man. Then he fastened away to make his
preparations for leaving.
The wears wife came in as the curate
went out. She found her husband gazing
rather sadly into the dull street.
MARY, my DEAR" he said, sit is my belief
that after the miracles of the loaves and fish
es there were some amongst the five thous
and who complained that the bread was
stale, and the fish not so fresh as it might
have been"
Meanwhile Clement Jenifer was speeding
on to London to see his lawyer. He found
there was one condition which he must full
I'll before he could call himself master of
house and income. Mr.. Dacre had only
willed Waterdell Hall to him under the pro-
viso that he should pass one night in the
house entirely alone.
Mr.. Jenifer laughed when this clause was
read to him.
That's not very hard thing to do" said
he. but was Mr.. Dacre's brain softening
when he made his will?"
mot at all, !" answered the lawyer shortly.
Amy one who saw Mr., Dacre in his last
hours will tell you that the dear old mans
mind was as clear to the end as in his best
days. When you 60 to Waterdell, you will
not please your poor neighbors there, if you
suggest to them that the man who was SO
universally beloved and revered was crazy.
have no doubt this letter. which he in
structed me to deliver to you personally, will
explain the matter"
This was, however, not the case. The note
was but short one, and gave no reason for
the testator's wish, except that he had in
herited Waterdell Hall under the same stip
ulation, that he had ever been thankful for
having carried it out, and hoped that though
his friend Clement Jenifer was older than he
himself had been when he came into the
property cfor, he wrote. with a touch of
his ordinary humor, Ihaye been like Charles
H., an unreasonable time a-dying'O, vet,
that solitary night passed in his future home
would prove as great a blessing to him as it
had been to the writer, and so without fur
Their explanation, signed himself his affec-
tionate friend, Thomas Dacre
That was all. Clement Jenifer never liked
being made ridiculous, and he thought that
this will went very near that possibility.
Yet he could not lose his inhe ritance for fear
OF being absurd. so, after certain business
instructions from the lawyer, he went to his
hotel for that night, and next morning start
ed for Waterdell. He put up at little inn in
the nearest market town before proceeding
to his destination, where, the lawyer had in
formed him, he would find all things in read
mess to receive him for his lonely vigil. if
vigil it was to be. The inn was full of farm
ers OF the neighborhood, come in to the mar
ket; and after much discourse on grain and
turnips, the conversation, Mr.. Jenifer found
he being, of course, unknown-turned on
the death of Mr.. Dacre.
'They do say" said one red-faced, gray
whiskered man of substantial appearance
"they do say that the ghost has begun to
walk again since the squiIe's DEATH"
What ghost?" asked younger man. with
s>A 'A@>ASuaouo iou6h' uch6I Htdru OIL q
ghost at Waterdell'
mo, you mayn't," said the first man "but
I've heard tell from my father, times upon
times, that before Squire Dacre come here
there were power of queer things seen and
heard at Waterdell, and they say that since
he's dead, they've come back"
"They say; who says?" asked thin, wea-
sel-faced farmer.
swell, my man Marvel, for one; he went
acrosslDy the spinney last night where he
has been almost every evening this 3Oyear,
and he swears that he saw some one walk
ing up and down the long path and heard
some awful noises
"Ah!' said the thin man, with grunt,
Marvel always were liar"
Liar or no liar" said the fat farmer
rather angrily, my father saw the ghost
himself 60 years ago often and often he has
told me of it; and l believe the old squire
knew of it, too, for he never laughed or
scoffed as some fools do" with a significant
sniff when folk talked of ghosts"
And so the talk drifted on to other mat